Damascus Tomahawk, Olive Wood Handle and Carved Cover

Take down a sapling, limb it, then sit and shape a tent stake with the same head. That is what the beard is for. The edge hangs below the eye, 4.5 inches of it on a head 6.5 long, so a light hawk gives a long cut, with room to choke up for small work. Damascus over a carbon core, olive wood, 19 inches overall.

Specification

The head

The steel is Damascus, pattern welded over a high carbon core and etched to bring the layers up. The pattern is twist, the billet wound like rope while hot, so the bands swirl rather than run straight. It covers the whole head and stops at a fine bright edge. The bit is bearded, so the edge drops below the eye and curves back to your hand. That is the extra cutting edge on a small head. Carbon sits under the pattern, so it darkens with use and rusts if left wet.

The handle

Olive wood is dense and oily, and the grain wanders, so no two hafts look alike. The oil in it also lets the wood take a knock. The eye is friction fit: the haft is tapered, it drops in from the top and seats tighter with every cut, with no wedge anywhere. Tap the butt on a bench and the head lifts off for a fresh haft. Nineteen inches swings well one handed, and your grip slides under the head for carving.

The leather head cover

Vegetable tanned leather, cut to the outline of this head and no other, so the beard has its own pocket. A welt is sewn into the seam to keep the stitch line off the edge, and the stitching is done by hand. The face is carved, not stamped: a rose and scrollwork cut with a swivel knife. A brass snap holds the strap. It goes on dry, never over a wet bit.

Who it suits

This is the dearest hawk we make, and it goes to people who wanted the bearded shape in a wood worth looking at. It still works for a living.

• Anyone shaping stakes and pegs at camp
• People who own a plain hawk and want the good one
• Buyers of a gift that gets carried outside
• Anyone who likes reading a twist pattern

What comes in the box

• The tomahawk, sharpened and hafted
• The hand carved leather head cover
• A care card
• Lifetime warranty and free sharpening for life

Every piece is different

Each head is forged, ground, heat treated and sharpened by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out the same. The twist lands differently on every head once the etch bites. Olive wood varies more than any wood we cut, from pale honey to dark streaks, and the carving is done freehand.

Looking after it

Wipe the head dry after use, oil it before it goes away, and only then fit the cover. A new haft wants three to five coats of boiled linseed oil over as many days, then one coat a year. Never varnish it, and never soak a loose head. Rags soaked in linseed oil can catch fire on their own, so spread them flat outside. More on our knife care page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per piece and you add it on this page. Around 30 characters fits, so a name and a date. We send a proof image before the laser runs, so you see the spacing, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Orders of 10 or more are engraved free. The rest is on the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

What does the beard do? It hangs the edge below the eye, so you get more cutting edge without a heavier head, and you can grip under the bit.

How does the head stay on with no wedge? The haft is tapered and slides in from the top, and every cut seats it harder. That is a friction fit, and why the head comes off when you want.

Is olive wood strong enough for a haft? Yes. It is dense and oily rather than light and springy, and a spare haft costs little.

Will it rust? It can. There is carbon under the pattern, so wipe it dry and oil it before storage.

How do I sharpen it? A file first if the edge is damaged, then a stone to bring the bevel back, then a strop.

How long does shipping take? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

For the same idea in a plainer wood, see the Damascus tomahawk on hickory. The Damascus bushcraft axe on walnut has a wedged eye and a carved cover. The rest sit in tomahawks, olive wood handles and Damascus axes.